Howl
by RMBlythe
Summary: "That wasn't just any howl, Scott," Derek said. "That was the howl of the Head Alpha." My take on the Alpha Pack and possible direction of Season 3? Alright, probably not, but it would be cool. One-shot. MTV fanfiction contest entry.


_**Howl**_

A howl, deep and fierce, ripped through the night. Scott McCall's eyes snapped open, flashing an achingly beautiful gold color, signaling the change from average teenager to werewolf. The howl tore through his body, an undeniable call that was pulling him toward the forest.

When the echo of the howl faded away, Scott squeezed his eyes shut and shook his head. When he reopened them, they had returned to their normal rich chocolatey hue. As his claws began to retract, he looked about in confusion. Why the hell was he on the roof in his pajamas? He quickly ran his tongue over his teeth to be sure his fangs were no longer visible and carefully made his way back into his room. Beads of sweat across his forehead glistened like diamonds in the moonlight as he tried to calm his racing heart. What had just happened? He hadn't changed against his will in months, and now...

Well, there was no hope of getting any more sleep tonight. With a groan, he rolled over and flicked on a lamp. Light flooded the room, and illuminated the shadowy figure of the alpha wolf. "Derek!" Scott gasped in shock, heart racing once again. "What the hell are you doing here?"

"You heard it, didn't you?"

"The howl? Yeah, I did. So?" he said, feigning nonchalance, unsure whether he should let Derek know what had just happened.

"So that wasn't just any howl, Scott," Derek hissed. Just when he thought Scott might actually be coming to terms with his lycanthropy, he proves once again how clueless he is. "That was the howl of the head alpha."

"Head alpha?" Scott's brow wrinkled in confusion. "What does that even mean?"

Derek sighed and looked Scott directly in the eyes, an act of respect that did not go unnoticed by the younger wolf. "It means we're in trouble," he admitted. "And you and I are going to have to work together." Scott eyed him warily, and Derek knew why. "It doesn't mean you're in my pack," he explained, "but we can't afford to be at odds with each other right now, because alone, we won't survive this."

"That's what that was?" Stiles shrieked the next day at school as he and Scott ate lunch. "That is so cool!"

"No, it's not," Scott groaned. Stiles didn't understand. None of this was cool. It had never been cool.

"Aw, c'mon man. Head alpha? That's pretty freakin' awesome!"

"Right. Because all the other alphas we've run into so far have been just great," Scott scoffed, rolling his eyes.

"Alright, you have a point," Stiles conceded as he aimlessly rolled an apple around his lunch tray, his excitement over the new development considerably lessened. "So why do you think you... y'know, wolfed out? You haven't done that since..."

"Peter? Yeah, I know," Scott nodded. "Maybe because it was the head alpha?"

Stiles shrugged, taking a quick swig of his soda. "Maybe. Did Derek change too? Cause that's the real test y'know, if an alpha will obey another alpha," he rambled, frowning when he began to confuse himself, "or something."

"I don't know if Derek did. I didn't ask and I didn't tell him about me either," Scott said, all but ignoring the food in front of him. Eating was the last thing on his mind at the moment.

"Why? Aren't you guys supposed to be working together in a circle of mutual trust?" Stiles smirked, drawing an imaginary circle in the air. Scott shot him a look, obviously not amused. "Anyway," Stiles continued, "how's Jackson handling his newfound super powers?"

"Better than I thought he would," Scott said truthfully just as said werewolf entered the cafeteria, Lydia Martin on his arm. Stiles' eyes all but glazed over as he watched her longingly. Scott chuckled softly. Now he was amused. "Better than you're handling him and Lydia getting back together anyway."

A harsh laugh burst forth from Stiles' lips, breaking his trance. "Wh-What? I am..." Stiles cut himself off, realizing how high pitched his voice was. He cleared his throat and continued. "I am totally fine." To prove his point, he leaned back casually in his chair, but he lost his balance and nearly ended up on the floor. Scott couldn't help it, and he began to laugh as Stiles scrambled to return to an upright position.

"Glad I could amuse you," Stiles muttered. "You gonna help me with lacrosse after school or what?"

"Can't," Scott said with a shake of his head. "Derek wants to talk with me, Isaac, and Jackson about the alpha pack."

"And no one thinks that a giant scary alpha pack is something Stiles should know about?" Stiles squawked indignantly. "I thought by now I had at least achieved honorary werewolf status or something!"

Scott nodded seriously. "You are a part of the pack Stiles. You can come tonight."

Stiles smiled triumphantly.

Ever since the kanima fiasco, an uneasy trust had developed between the hunters. No one knew how long it would last, but for now, Derek and Peter had moved back into the their house, occasionally using the abandoned station as a training ground.

"This place still gives me the creeps," Stiles shuddered as he and Scott slammed the doors of the trusty jeep closed and approached the broken- down Hale house.

"You're the one who wanted to come," Scott reminded him as he pushed open the squealing front door.

"I'm aware of that, Captain Obvious," Stiles groaned as he stepped inside. "Anything else you'd like to point out? Like, oh I don't know, the fact that I'm the only one here who can't physically incapacitate someone with my teeth?"

"A problem which can be easily remedied," a familiar voice said.

Abandoning their own conversation, the boys now looked about the decrepit parlor that was filled with werewolves. Apparently, they were late to the party. Stiles glanced at Peter who had a creepy smile on his face. Stiles shot him a thumbs up. "I'm good, thanks."

"What's he doing here?" Derek demanded with a nod toward the only human in the room.

Scott took a step forward, as if preparing to protect his best friend. "He's pack," he said as his eyes flashed gold, daring anyone to disagree.

The alpha regarded Stiles seriously for a moment, reflecting on all the times he had saved his life, and vice-versa. No matter how much he might want to, with everything that had happened, Derek couldn't deny that Scott was right. He nodded, and that was all the permission needed. The last two members of his pack took their seats and everyone looked at him expectantly.

"The alpha pack," he began, "only forms once or twice every hundred years, and because of that, not much is known about them. They are extremely powerful, which is why I tried to build up this pack so quickly. I don't know what they want, but they already have Boyd and Erica."

"So what are we going to do?" Isaac asked.

"Train," Derek said. "Everyday we're going to train so that if it does come to a fight, we'll be ready."

While the rest of them silently reflected on the frightening possibilities the alpha pack presented, Stiles' hand shot up in the air. "Question!"

Derek heaved a weary sigh. "What Stiles?"

"What's up with the head alpha?"

"The head alpha is the strongest and most dangerous of our kind," Peter explained, for his knowledge of the legendary pack far surpassed his nephew's. "He is more powerful than all of us combined. That's why the alpha pack forms. When a wolf comes along who is so extraordinary, alphas will flock to him, forming the pack. Once they are formed, they seek out other packs to challenge, claiming the dominating werewolves as their own. Then, all the alphas of the pack will go their separate ways and form their own individual packs, although it is assumed the head alpha will always be their leader. He too will create a pack of betas, however they will be stronger and greater in number than any other pack."

"So, it's like a way to start fresh?" Stiles asked. "Y'know, in a sick and twisted kind of way."

"In a way, yes," Peter said in agreement.

"So can't we just give them Derek and call it a day?"

Derek glared at Stiles who just kind of shrugged and smiled nervously.

"Unfortunately, it's not that easy," said Peter as he dug deeper into the legends. "The dominating wolves may or may not be the alpha of the pack they choose to challenge. And those they do not choose, they do not keep alive.

Jackson smirked and looked at Stiles. "Still wanna be part of the pack?" This earned him a smack on the back of the head from his alpha. Stiles laughed. Another smack. Stiles scowled. "This is serious, you idiots!" Derek all but shouted.

"Do the Argents know?" Scott asked suddenly, heart constricting when he thought of Allison coming face to face with such a threat.

"They've seen the signs, just like I did," Derek nodded, knowing what Scott really wanted to hear. "Chris is sending Allison to stay with family along the coast. She'll be safe."

He shouldn't be here. He knew that. There were so many reasons why he should not be crawling along the roof of her house toward her open bedroom window. But none of them came to mind. All reason was abandoned when he saw her lying there, all curled up and fast asleep. He wondered if she was dreaming. If she too was haunted by memories of each smile, each touch, each kiss. If just maybe she endured the same terrifying nightmares that he did. The ones where he couldn't save her, when he lost her and he woke up in a cold sweat, his entire body trembling. It was one such nightmare that brought Scott to Allison's window tonight. Suddenly, her breath hitched in her throat, and she moved restlessly as a few pitiful whimpers escaped her lips. It was too much for Scott to bear.

Ever so quietly he stepped into the room, making his way over to the girl who still held his heart. He knelt down beside the bed, cautiously reaching out his hand to stroke the brown curls away from her face. "It's okay," he whispered, continuing to try and comfort her as her cries softened. "It's okay, Allison."

"Scott," she sighed, her breathing evening out once again as she drifted back into a peaceful sleep.

He smiled. "I'm right here," he reassured her. "I'll always be right here. I love you, Allison. Be safe."

Unable to resist, he placed a gentle kiss against her lips. With one last look, he ducked back out the window.

"Dude, not gonna lie, being around you is starting to bum me out," Stiles said, shifting his lacrosse bag on his shoulder as he and Scott walked out to the jeep. "And it's not like I have a choice, thanks to Derek's new buddy system."

"Sorry," Scott sighed, "I just can't stop thinking about Allison."

"That sounds familiar," Stiles said with an exasperated sigh. "She left yesterday morning. She's safe, miles and miles away from here, alright? It's us you should be worried about! Well, more specifically you should be worried about me, your very human friend... are you even listening?"

Scott's dark eyes were frantically searching the parking lot, his conversation with Stiles long forgotten. Stiles didn't mind though. He was looking around too, searching for whatever caught Scott's attention. "What? Are your wolfy-senses tingling, or something?"

"Kind of," Scott muttered, "I smelled something." Actually he had caught the scent of someone he thought, and almost hoped, he'd never see again. "It almost smelled like..."

"Like what?" Stiles asked, getting a bit panicky and wondering if something was going to jump out and attack them.

Scott frowned and finally turned to meet his friend's curious gaze. "It smelled like my dad."

When Scott got home later that evening after training with the pack, he went to the hall closet and pulled out his father, Ian McCall's, old baseball bat, the one he and his mother now used primarily as a weapon. Memories of playing ball out in the front yard with his dad almost caused a smile to appear on Scott's face. Almost.

"Scott," his mom said, startling him so badly, he nearly dropped the bat. "What are you doing?"

Scott looked down at the bat, then back to Melissa. "Do you miss, I mean, do you ever think about Dad?"

He was almost afraid of her answer. Ian McCall was a subject they both pointedly chose to ignore. But to his surprise, his mother didn't appear to be on the verge of tears, and her voice held no anger or bitterness when she said, "Everyday."

"Why did he leave?"

Sighing, Melissa took the bat from her son and placed it back in the closet, closing the door firmly. "I don't know. I don't think we ever will."

Derek raced through dense woods outside his home. He had been afraid of this. That's why he demanded the members of his pack travel in pairs. Safety in numbers. Obviously that had worked so well. Isaac and Jackson had gone for a run, and when they never returned, Derek assumed the worst. Now he ran as fast as he could to find his betas, following their scent until it suddenly mixed with those he did not recognize. The Alphas.

With a flick of his wrist, his razor sharp claws were exposed and glistening. Eyes glowing red, he tilted his head back and howled.

Pedal to the floor, Stiles and Scott roared down the backroads of Beacon Hills towards where they hoped Derek was waiting. As soon as they'd heard the alpha's howl, they'd known what was happening. They just didn't know what they'd find. The two were uncharacteristically quiet, until Scott said, "You didn't have to come."

Stiles sighed heavily, staring at the road before him and gripping the steering wheel so tightly his knuckles were white. "I'm in way too deep to turn back now. Besides,"he smirked, glancing at Scott, "Batman never takes on the bad guys without Robin."

"Thanks Stiles," Scott smiled, "for everything."

"Thank me when we get out of this alive."

They arrived at the warehouse, where the Alphas had been hiding out, after the fight had already started. It was absolute chaos. Snarls and growls filled the air, and already the smell of blood was overwhelming. Scott didn't quite know what to do with himself. Jackson and Isaac each fought an alpha. Derek was struggling to keep the three biggest alphas occupied and away from his own pack, and Peter was fighting off another one while trying to free Erica from the heavy chains that bound her to the wall. It wasn't until one of Derek's alphas broke off and charged at Stiles that Scott sprang into action, digging his claws into the wolf and throwing him against the far wall. Then all hell broke loose. Scott soon found himself back to back with Derek as they worked together to defend their pack. Working with Derek was something Scott never thought he would do, but as the fight wore on, it was clear the older wolf had been right. Alone, they never would have survived this. Boyd had already been knocked unconscious, and Jackson's side was bleeding heavily. Other than that...

Stiles! Where was Stiles? Scott searched the large dark room for his friend. All of a sudden, there was the roaring of an engine, and Stiles came barreling in, taking out two alphas with a fork-lift. "Whoo-hoo!" Stiles shouted. "Take that you big overgrown mutt! Ha!"

Satisfied Stiles was safe for the moment, he spun around and smashed his fist into an alpha's jaw. When he looked back, Erica had fallen, her limp body flung next to Boyd's. Scott growled when he saw Jackson get hit, and already weak from losing so much blood, fall to the floor with a sickening thud. The tide of the fight was turning, and not in their favor. Isaac was struggling. So was Peter, who was not nearly as strong as he'd been before his resurrection. He glanced over at Derek, who was still fighting with everything he had.

Scott howled in pain as an alpha's claws tore through the skin on his back. He turned and began to fight with the wolf, biting, scratching, and hitting each other. Protecting his friends was suddenly the only thought in Scott's mind. Protect them. Keep the pack safe.

By this time, Stiles had crashed the fork-lift into a wall. Isaac had fallen. Scott grabbed the alpha and threw him against the ground with a tremendous force he honestly didn't know he possessed. The bigger wolf was now out cold, but when Scott looked up from his victim, he saw that both Peter and Derek were caught in a chokehold. Stiles came running up behind Scott just as a deep voice spoke from the shadows. "Very well done, Scott. I must say, I'm impressed."

Scott growled. "I'm not here to impress you. And I'm not going to join you."

"Have you ever wondered why you've never taken an alpha, Scott?" the voice said. Scott remained silent, eyeing the corner the voice was coming from. "Peter was not your alpha, and neither was Derek. I can tell you why."

"Why?" Scott asked, if only to draw out the one he assumed was the head alpha, whose voice was beginning to sound familiar.

"Have you ever heard the saying blood is thicker than water, Scott?"

At that moment, the head alpha stepped out of the shadows. Moonlight illuminated his features, and for Scott, it was as though he was looking into a mirror. "Dad?"

Ian McCall grinned, his blood red eyes shining. "Hello, Son."

**_So, what did y'all think? This was a one-shot, but I'm considering writing a prequel about Ian McCall... thoughts? Leave a review! Oh, and I don't own Teen Wolf. I wish..._**


End file.
